REPORTED SPEECH

(LỜI NÓI GIÁN TIẾP)

Lời nói gián tiếp (indirect/ reported speech) là lời tường thuật lại ý của người nói.
- Nếu động từ của mệnh đề chính ở thì simple present (say), present perfect (have/ has said) hoặc
simple future (will say) thì trong lời trích dẫn ta chỉ đổi đại từ (pronouns) và chia động từ cho thích hợp
với đại từ đó.
Ex: The farmer says, “I hope it will rain tomorrow.”
 The farmer says that he hopes it will rain tomorrow.
She has said, “I’m tired now.”
 She has said that she is tired now.
- Nếu động từ trong mệnh đề chính ở thì simple past (said) thì trong lời trích dẫn ta phải đổi thì, đại từ
và một số từ hoặc cụm từ chỉ thời gian, nơi chốn.
♦ Khi chuyển từ lời nói trực tiếp sang lời nói gián tiếp, ta cần lưu ý đến một số thay đổi sau:
1. Thay đổi thì động từ (changes in tenses of verbs)
Trực tiếp Gián tiếp Ví dụ
Simple Present Simple Past “I feel sick”
He said he felt sick.
Present Continuous Past Continuous “I’m writing a letter.”
He said he was writing a letter.
Simple Past Past Perfect “I arrived at 5p.m.”
He said he had arrived at 5p.m.
Present Perfect Past Perfect. “I have seen that film.”
He said he had seen that film.
Past Continuous/ Past Perfect Cont. “I was living in Viene then”
Perfect Continuous He said he had been living in
Vien then.
Simple Future Future in the Past “I shall go to Japan in July.”
He said he would go to Japan in
July.
- Ta có thể dùng thì simple present thay vì simple past trong lời nói gián tiếp khi diễn tả một thói quen
hay một chân lý.
Ex: “I work late every evening.”  He said he works/ worked late every evening.
“The sun rises in the East.”  The teacher said the sun rises/ rose in the East.
- Đối với các động từ khiếm khuyết (modal verbs) không có dạng quá khứ, ta có thể mượn các động từ
có cùng nghĩa.
must  had to/ would have to
must not  was/ were not to
can  could/ be able to
may  might
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 will/ shall  would/ should/ be going to
2. Thay đổi tính từ và trạng từ (changes in adjectives and adverbs)
Trực tiếp Gián tiếp Ví dụ
This That “I need this book.”
He said he needed that book.
These Those “I’ll take these with me.”
He said he would take those with him.
Here There “I’ll return here at 3 o’clock.”
He said he would return there...
Now Then “I’m going now.”
He said he was going then.
Today That day “I’ll do it today”
He said he would do it that day.
Yesterday The day before “I was in Hue yesterday”
The previous day He said he had been in Hue the day before.
Tomorrow The day after “We’ll wait until tomorrow.”
The following day They said they would wait until the day after.
Ago Before “I was in Dalat three weeks ago.”
He said he had been in Dalat three weeks before.
Next week The week after “I’ll come to see her next week.”
The following week He said he would come to see her the week after.
■ Cách đổi câu trực tiếp sang câu gián tiếp
I. Câu mệnh lệnh và câu yêu cầu (orders and requests)
Câu mệnh lệnh, yêu cầu, đề nghị được đổi từ trực tiếp sang gián tiếp thường được mở đầu bằng những
động từ như: order; command, tell, ask, request, ...và theo sau là tân ngữ trực tiếp chỉ người nhận lệnh +
động từ nguyên mẫu (object + to-infinitive).
Ex: “Hurry up, Lan.”  He told Lan to hurry up.
“Shut the door.”  He ordered them to shut the door.
“Don’t leave the room.”  He ordered them not to leave the room.
“Please don’t tell anybody what happened.”
 She ask me not to tell anybody what (had) happened.
II. Câu hỏi (questions)
Có hai loại câu hỏi: Câu hỏi Yes - No và câu hỏi Wh-
1. Câu hỏi Yes - No (Yes - No questions)
- Trong lời nói gián tiếp loại câu hỏi này được mở đầu bằng các động từ ask, inquire, wonder; want to
know,...
- Dùng if hoặc whether ngay sau động từ giới thiệu của mệnh đề chính.
- Đổi trật tự câu hỏi thành câu trần thuật và đổi các đại từ, tính từ, thì của động từ,...
Ex: “Have you seen that film?”  He asked if/ whether she had seen that film.

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 “Will Tom be here tomorrow?”  She wondered if/ whether Tom would be there the day after.
2. Câu hỏi Wh- (WH – Questions: mở đầu bằng các nghi vấn từ như who, what, where, when,.. .)
- Trong lời nói gián tiếp loại câu hỏi này được mở đầu bằng các động từ ask, require, wonder, want to
know, ....
- Lặp lại từ để hỏi (what, when, where,...) sau động từ giới thiệu.
- Đổi trật tự câu hỏi thành câu trần thuật và đổi các đại từ, tính từ, thì của động từ,...
Ex: “What time does the film begin?”
 He wanted to know what time the film began.
“What will happen if she can not find her passport?”
 He wondered what would happen if she could not find her passport.
Lưu ý:
Trong trường hợp câu trực tiếp có cả câu trần thuật lẫn câu hỏi thì khi đổi sang câu gián tiếp, phần nào
vẫn cứ đổi theo phần ấy.
Ex: “I have left my watch at home. Can you tell me the time?”
 He said that he had left his watch at home and asked me if I could tell him the time.
III. Câu cảm thán (exclamations)
Câu cảm thán thường được thuật lại bằng động từ exclaim/ say that.
Ex: “What a lovely garden they have!”
 He exclaimed/ said that what a lovely garden they had.
“How hot it is!” He exclaimed/ said that how hot it was.
IV. Câu trần thuật (statements)
- Câu trần thuật được đổi từ trực tiếp sang gián tiếp thường được mở đầu bằng các động từ say, tell,....
to say (that) ... to say to somebody... to tell somebody...
- Đổi các đại từ nhân xưng, tính từ hoặc đại từ sở hữu sao cho tương ứng với chủ ngữ hoặc tân ngữ
mệnh đề chính.
- Đổi thì của động từ thành thì quá khứ tương ứng.
- Đổi một số tính từ chỉ định và trạng từ hoặc cụm trạng từ chỉ thời gian, nơi chốn
Ex: “I saw her yesterday”
 He said he had seen her the day before/ the previous day.
♦ Trường hợp đặc biệt (Special cases)
Khi đổi từ câu nói trực tiếp sang gián tiếp, ta không đổi thì trong mệnh đề phụ ở các trường hợp sau dù
mệnh đề chính ở thì quá khứ.
1. Động từ trong câu nói trực tiếp có thời gian xác định.
Ex: He said, “I was born in 1980”.  He said that he was born in 1980.
2. Câu điều kiện loại 2, 3.
Ex: He said, “If I were you, I wouldn’t come here.”
 He said if he were me he wouldn’t come there.
3. Quá khứ giả định (trong wish-clause, as if,. )
Ex: Mary said, “I wish I were a boy”.
 Mary said that she wished she were a boy.

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4. Trong lời nói trực tiếp có: could would, should, might, used to, ought to, would rather, had better,...
Ex: Tom said to me, “You had better not contact her”.
 Tome said to me I had better not contact her.
5. Lời nói trực tiếp diễn tả một chân lý hoặc một tình huống không đổi
Ex: My teacher said, “The sun rises in the East”.
 My teacher said the sun rises in the East.
EXERCISES
Put the following sentences into indirect speech.
1. He said to her, “You are my friend.”
2. Johnny said to his mother, “I don’t know how to do this exercise.”
3. “Don’t come back before one o’clock”, advised my brother.
4. “Cook it in butter”, Mrs Brown said to her daughter.
5. The pupils said to their teacher, “Please give us better marks.”
6. “Pull as hard as you can”, she said to me.
7. “Who put salt in my coffee?”, he asked.
8. My friend said, “Are you going to leave tomorrow?”
9. “Have you done your homework?”, said my mother.
10. I asked Bill, “What time did you go to bed last night?”
11. Paul said “I must go home now.”
12. “There’s been an accident and the road is blocked”, said the policeman.
13. “We are waiting for the school bus”, said the children.
14. Mary said, “My father died a year ago.”
15. “Must you go now?”, said Mr. Brown.
16. “Whose bicycle did you borrow yesterday?”, his mother asked him.
17. “It isn’t so foggy today as it was yesterday”, said the teacher.
18. “Be modest if you are a good pupil”, said my father.
19. “Shut the door but don’t lock it”, she said to us.
20. Tom said, “New York is bigger than London.”
21. “Please help US,” they said to us.
22. “Don’t forget to send your parents my regards”, she said to me.
23. The traveller asked, “How long does it take to get to London?”
24. John said, “I have finished studying my lesson.”
25. Mary said, “I can not go to the movies with you, John.”
26. He asked me, “Why didn’t you come to class yesterday?”
27. “Did you phone me yesterday?” Tom asked Mary.
28. “Do you like it?” - “Yes”.
29. “I didn’t know them. Did you, Tom?” she asked.
30. “Avoid the Marble Arch” said the policeman “There’s going to be a big demonstration here.”
31. “Don’t take more than two of these at once”, said the doctor, handing me a bottle of pills.
32. They said to me, “Let’s go to the zoo.”
33. “I shouldn’t do that if I were you. Isn’t it very dangerous?” He said.
34. “When we’ve finished this game we’ll have supper.” They said to me.
35. “Have you got any shampoo, Alice. I must wash my hair.” Johny asked.
36. He said to me “Listen! Can you hear someone coming?”
37. “Do as I tell you or you’ll be punished. I’ll teach you who is master in this house”, he said.
38. “When you have cleaned the sitting room, will you please light the fire there? It’s rather chilly
today”, my mother said to me.

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 39. “I shall expect to see you next Wednesday.” Mary said to her friend.
40. The teacher asked “Which book are you taking, John?”
41. I asked the policeman “Do you know how far it is to the station?”
42. “What a dirty face you have!” Ann said to her son.
43. “Don’t you know how to behave? There must be no talking in lessons”. The teacher told his pupils.
44. “I wonder who is coming on the excursion tomorrow. I do hope it won’t rain.” She said.
45. “Do as you are told. You are a naughty boy.” Mrs Brown said.
46. “It’s a very nice evening. Why don’t we go for a walk?” Jim suggested.
47. “You must decide what you want to do”, she said to her daughter.
48. Mary asked me “Can you tell me why you are so sad?”
49. Jane said to John “Who will come to the movies with me?”
50. “Will you please find out when he last wrote to me?” Jane said to her friend.
ĐÁP ÁN
1. He said to her she was his friend.
2. Johnny said to his mother he didn’t know how to do that exercise.
3. My brother advised me not to come back before one o’clock.
4. Mrs. Brown told her daughter to cook it in butter.
5. The pupils asked their teacher to give them better marks.
6. She told me to pull as hard as I could.
7. He asked who had put salt in his coffee.
8. My friend asked me if I was going to leave the day after.
9. My mother asked me if I had done my homework.
10. I asked Bill what time he had gone to bed the night before.
11. Paul said that he had to go home then.
12. The policeman said that there had been an accident and the road was blocked.
13. The children said that they were waiting for the school bus.
14. Mary said that her father had died a year before.
15. Mr. Brown asked me if I had to go then.
16. His mother asked him whose bicycle he had borrowed the day before.
17. The teacher said that it wasn’t so foggy that day as it had been the day before.
18. My father told me to be modest if I was a good pupil.
19. She told us to shut the door but not to lock it.
20. Tom said that New York is/was bigger than London.
21. They begged us to help them.
22. She told me not to forget to send my parents her regards./ She reminded me to send my parents her
regards.
23. The traveller asked me how long it took to get to London.
24. John said that he had finished studying his lesson.
25. Mary said to John she couldn’t go to the movies with him.
26. He asked me why I hadn’t come to class the day before.
27. Tom asked Mary if she had phoned him the day before.
28. He asked me if I liked it and I said that I did.
29. She said to Tom she hadn’t known them and asked him if he had known them.
30. The policeman told everybody to avoid the Marble Arch because there was going to be a big
demonstration there.
31. Handing me a bottle of pills, the doctor told me not to take more than two of those at once.
32. They asked me to go to the zoo./ They suggested going to the zoo.
33. He said that he shouldn’t do that if he were me because it was very dangerous.
34. They told me when they had finished that game they would have supper.
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 35. Johny said that she had to wash her hair and asked Alice if she had got any shampoo.
36. He told me to listen and asked me if I heard someone coming.
37. He asked me to do as he told me or I would be punished and said that he would teach me who was
master in that house.
38. My mother said that it was rather chilly that day and asked me to light the fire there when I had
cleaned the sitting room.
39. Mary said to her friend she would expect to see him the following Wednesday.
40. The teacher asked John which book he was taking.
41. I asked the policeman if he knew how far it was to the station.
42. Ann exclaimed what a dirty face her son had.
43. The teacher asked his pupils whether they knew how to behave and remarked that there must be no
talking in lessons.
44. She wondered who was coming on the excursion the next day and hoped it wouldn’t rain.
45. Mrs. Brown told him to do as he was told and complained that he was a naughty boy.
46. Jim said that it was a very nice evening and suggested having a walk.
47. She asked/ urged her daughter to decide what she wanted to do.
48. Mary asked me if I could tell her why I was so sad./ Mary asked me to tell her why...
49. Jane asked John who would come to the movies with her.
50. Jane asked her friend to find out when he last wrote to her.